Multi-channel cinema amplifier with power-sharing, messaging and multi-phase power supply

ABSTRACT

An integrated cinema amplifier comprises a power supply stage that distributes power over a plurality of channels for rendering immersive audio content in a surround sound listening environment. The amplifier automatically detects maximum and net power availability and requirements based on audio content by decoding audio metadata and dynamically adjusts gains to each channel or sets of channels based on content and operational/environmental conditions. A power supply stage provides power to drive a plurality of channels corresponding to speaker feeds to a plurality of speakers. The amplifier has a front panel having an LED array with each LED associated with a respective channel or group of channels of the multi-channel amplifier, and a control unit configured to light the LEDs according to display patterns based on operating status or error conditions of the amplifier.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to European Patent Application No.16153471.4 filed 29 Jan. 2016; U.S. Patent Application No. 62/289,037filed 29 Jan. 2016; U.S. Patent Application No. 62/429,682 filed 2 Dec.2016; U.S. Patent Application No. 62/429,662 filed 2 Dec. 2016 and U.S.Patent Application No. 62/450,543 filed Jan. 25, 2017 which are herebyincorporated by reference in their entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

One or more implementations relate generally to audio power amplifiers,and more specifically to a multi-channel power amplifier withpower-sharing, fault monitoring, LED/GUI messaging, and multi-phasepower supply stages.

BACKGROUND

Cinema sound has undergone significant changes with the advent ofdigital audio, digital cinema, and new immersive audio formats, such asDolby Atmos®. Many channels of audio are now available for playbackthrough extensive arrays of speaker in many large cinema environments.For large venues, the power requirements and the burdens placed onamplifier stages can be significant. FIG. 1 illustrates an examplecinema environment having a surround sound speaker array powered bymultiple power amplifiers as presently known. As shown in FIG. 1, acinema or similar audio/visual (A/V) listening environment 110 has ascreen 112 and a set or array of speakers 108 placed around theperiphery of the listening environment 110 in any appropriate surroundsound arrangement, such as 5.1, 7.1, 9.1 and so on. For the example ofFIG. 1, speakers 114 may be Left (L), Center (C), Right (R) speakersalong with a low frequency effects (LFE) speaker (not shown), and set orarray of speakers 108 may be surround speakers in any appropriateconfiguration. For immersive audio playback, set or array of speakers108 may also include overhead mounted height speakers (not shown). In atypical cinema or A/V application, the audio content is provided byprojector 102 through a sound processor 104 and then to power amplifiers106 to drive the speakers through individual speaker feeds.

The number of power amps needed to drive the speakers depends on thesize of the venue and the size/type of speakers, as well as the audiocontent. In a modern cinema environment, a large number of power ampsmay be required. For example, a typical cinema installation with 200-300seats and a screen size of 40′ or greater may require on the order of 12two-channel amplifiers in the amp array 106. Such an array of amplifiersrequires substantial electrical circuitry and takes up a significantamount of space (e.g., two or more full height racks) and can alsogenerate a lot of heat. This can be an issue in theatres that have smallcontrol booths with limited space and HVAC capabilities. Present cinemaamplifier systems also do not dynamically accommodate changes in powerrequirements or environmental/operating conditions. One study of Atmostheatre content has shown that the combined power across all Atmosoverhead speakers rarely gets above 300 W summed, although there aretimes when 300 W is needed per channel over a very limited time period.Present amplifier systems cannot share or steer power among theappropriate speakers in a manner that accommodates different per channelrequirements. This issue is exacerbated with immersive audio content inwhich channel-based audio is augmented with a spatial presentation ofsound utilizes audio objects, which are audio signals with associatedparametric descriptions of apparent position (e.g., 3D coordinates),apparent width, and other parameters. Such immersive audio content maybe used for many multimedia applications, such as movies, video games,simulators, and can benefit from a flexible configuration andarrangement of speakers within the listening environment. A mainadvantage of immersive audio systems over traditional channel-basedsurround sound systems is the accurate representation of audio contentaround and above the listener as represented at least in part by heightcues in the audio content. Optimal power sharing and steering of speakerfeeds for arrays of speakers is particularly beneficial for this type ofapplication, and is not met by present amplifier systems.

Present amplifier systems also do not accommodate changes in dynamicoperating conditions or fault conditions. For example, as speakers failor drop in performance, present systems do not detect such conditions orcompensate for failed or compromised speakers or amp components.Furthermore, present amplifiers based on single power supplyarchitectures are vulnerable to failures such as power supply failuresin which the failure of a single supply may bring down the entiresystem.

Advanced cinema systems have required great increases in the capabilityand number of audio amplifiers used power the loudspeakers. In moderndigital cinemas, the “projectionist” has practically disappeared fromthe booth, as more automation occurs. Consequently, the staff operatingthe screens, sound, and projectors is less prepared when issues arise,and requires more readily understood cues for when issues needattention. Present cinema sound amplifiers, and other large-venue,multi-channel amplifiers do not provide adequate visual warnings.Typically, such amplifiers only feature an LED or light that indicateswhether power is on. While some may provide additional LEDs thatindicate signal strength, they do not feature extensive or informativefault condition alerts, or project this information far enough to beuseful to anyone not standing directly in front of the unit. Anotherissue associated with modern digital cinema control booths is that thereis a much higher ratio of machines to operators, and those operators aretypically standing quite far away from the hardware. This means they areoften surrounded by and confronted with meaningless blinking lights.

What is needed, therefore, is a cinema amplifier that features frontpanel light array that provides useful information indicating variousfault conditions, and that projects this information to users that maybe located some distance from the amplifier. What is further needed is away of providing simple effective light-based messaging so that blinkinglight patterns can be readily understood to mean certain operating orfailure conditions.

High channel count amplifiers may feature many channels that are poweredby a single power supply. In the event of a power supply failure, allchannels are lost. What is further needed, therefore, is an amplifiersystem that provides multiple redundancies so that failure of the powersupply does not cause total failure of all channels of the amplifier.

The subject matter discussed in the background section should not beassumed to be prior art merely as a result of its mention in thebackground section. Similarly, a problem mentioned in the backgroundsection or associated with the subject matter of the background sectionshould not be assumed to have been previously recognized in the priorart. The subject matter in the background section merely representsdifferent approaches, which in and of themselves may also be inventions.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF EMBODIMENTS

Embodiments are directed to an audio amplifier having a power supplystage coupled to a mains power supply and providing power to drivechannels corresponding to speaker feeds to a plurality of speakers; amonitor component coupled to the power supply stage and monitoringenvironmental and operating characteristics of the amplifier; and apower controller coupled to the monitor component and adjustingper-channel gain values based on per-channel characteristics, powerdistribution characteristics, speaker health characteristics, and mainspower supply characteristics.

The per-channel and power distribution characteristics may comprise thevoltage of the mains power supply, a circuit breaker rating, atemperature of the power supply stage, and the load of the speakerfeeds. The power supply stage provides maximum voltage and current oneach channel of the speaker feeds under normal operating conditions andaccording to current and voltage availability of the mains power, andthe controller reduces the gain to at least one of the channels in theevent of a negative environmental or operating condition. The channelsmay be organized into a plurality of prioritized sets of channels, andthe controller reduces the gain to a channel according to a priority ofthat channel relative to the other sets of channels. The amplifierfurther comprises an interface to a renderer that transmits digitizedaudio signals for transmission of the speaker feeds, and the controllercan adjust the gain to the at least one of the channels based on theaudio content from the renderer. The speakers may comprise a surroundsound audio speaker array including height speakers for playback ofobject-based audio having height cues, and the audio signals maycomprise immersive audio content.

Under some embodiments, the amplifier may further comprise a lightcontrol interface transmitting lighting control signals over speakerwires to a plurality of lights, and the amplifier power subsystemprovides power to the plurality of lights. The light control interfacereceives metadata from the renderer that determines a color andintensity of each light of the plurality of lights. The power supplystage may comprise dual redundant power supplies or multi-phase powersupplies that sum into a unified output, and the amplifier may be aClass-D amplifier.

Embodiments are further directed to an amplifier system comprising: aunitary chassis having a power supply powered by a single mains poweroutlet; a common power subsystem within the chassis and coupled to thepower supply for driving a plurality of separate channels throughcorresponding speakers; a monitor circuit monitoring a total power levelof the power subsystem and an individual power level of each separatechannel; and an interface to a renderer having an immersive audiorendering component that applies defined channel gains in response tothe monitored power levels. The monitor circuit further monitors eachspeaker to detect a failed or compromised speaker and adjusts theindividual power level based on the presence of the failed orcompromised speaker. The monitor circuit further monitors sound levelsof a listening environment containing the speakers and adjusts theindividual power level based on the sound levels. The amplifier systemfurther comprises a power supply control unit regulating a power supplyrail in response to the monitored power levels and audio output from therenderer.

Embodiments are yet further directed to a cinema audio playback systemcomprising: an amplifier having a power supply coupled to mains powerand providing power to each speaker of a plurality of speakers overrespective speaker wires through channel-based speaker feeds; a lightingcontrol component providing power from the power supply to each light ofa plurality of lights through the speaker wires; and an interface to arenderer generating immersive audio content comprising a digitalbitstream having associated metadata for playback through the pluralityof speakers, wherein the metadata includes lighting control signalsdictating a color and intensity of the each light. The system furthercomprises a monitor component monitoring one or more operationalconditions, and a controller adjusting a gain value on each channel ofthe channel-based speaker feeds based on the one or more operationalconditions. The power supply provides maximum voltage and current oneach channel under normal operating conditions and according to currentand voltage availability of the mains power, and it reduces the gain toat least one of the channels in the event of a suboptimal operatingcondition in accordance a prioritization of a channel relative to otherchannels, or a defined shutdown or switchover procedure.

Embodiments are yet further directed to a multi-channel amplifier havinga power supply stage providing power to drive a plurality of channelscorresponding to speaker feeds to a plurality of speakers, a monitorcomponent coupled to the power supply stage and monitoring environmentaland operating characteristics of the amplifier, a front panel having anLED array comprising a plurality of LEDs with each LED associated with arespective channel or group of channels of the multi-channel amplifier,and a control unit coupled to the LED array and configured to light theLED array according to display patterns based on operating status orerror conditions of the amplifier, and wherein at least one displaypattern graphically shows the identity of a failed channel of theplurality of channels. The LED array may comprise a horizontal line ofLEDs placed on the front panel, and each LED of the plurality of LEDsmay be an RGB LED. The operating status and error conditions includesystem bootup, system shutdown, system standby normal operation of theplurality of channels, channel overload of at least one channel, channelfailure of at least one channel, and system failure. A unique displaypattern is generated for each of the plurality of states, and thedisplay pattern is a function of an array sequence including ananimation, where the animation comprises a set of LED transitions, andeach transition comprises a lighting routine for a plurality ofsequential LEDs. The display patterns comprise animations usingdifferent color, brightness, and blinking frequency characteristics ofthe LEDs, and transitions to and from successive displays of timedlightings of adjacent LEDs. The display pattern may comprise simulatedmotion by synchronized lighting of LEDs in the LED array created bysuccessively turning contiguous LEDs on and off across the horizontalline of LEDs, and the display pattern identifies the failed channel bydisplaying two sweeping LED sequences that each start from one end ofthe horizontal line and end at a respective LED for the failed channel.The control unit may execute a timing routine for the display patternthat calculates a duration for each sweeping LED sequence and adjusts atiming of at least one sequence so that both sequences end at therespective LED at the same time. The LED control signals sent to the LEDarray may be simultaneously transmitted to a graphical user interface(GUI) of a computer wired or wirelessly coupled to the control unit,where the GUI includes a visual display area showing LED arrayscorresponding to front panel LED arrays for each amplifier of aplurality of amplifiers monitored by the computer.

Embodiments are further directed to a method of graphically indicatingoperating status and fault conditions in a multi-channel amplifier byproviding an array of LEDs in the front panel of the amplifier,assigning respective display patterns to the LEDs for each state of theamplifier, and lighting the LEDs based on a sensed operating status orfault condition, wherein at least one display pattern graphically showsthe identity of a failed channel of the plurality of channels. Thedisplay patterns for normal operation comprise muted, steady statelighting effects using the LEDs and display patterns for faultconditions comprise bright, moving lighting effects using color,brightness, flashing periods, and timing intervals of sequences of LEDSto visually distinguish fault conditions from normal operation, andprovide visual alerts to users that may be a distance from theamplifier.

Embodiments are further directed to a power supply for a multi-channelamplifier having a multi-phase power factor correction (PFC) circuitconfigured to boost input mains AC power to a PFC output voltage,wherein the PFC correction circuit comprises a first fault detection andprotection array for each phase coupled to a respective boost stage, aninterface to a system controller receiving fault information from thefirst fault detection and protection array for transmission tocomponents that can effect failure compensation measures, and a firstoutput combinatorial circuit summing an output voltage from eachrespective boost stage to produce a final PFC output voltage. The powersupply may be a multi-phase resonant mode (LLC) power supply coupled toan output of the PFC circuit, where the LLC power supply has a secondfault detection and protection array for each phase coupled to arespective converter stage, an interface to the system controllerreceiving fault information from the second fault detection andprotection array for transmission to components that can effect failurecompensation measures, and a second output combinatorial circuit summingan output voltage from each respective converter stage to produce afinal LLC output voltage. In the power supply, a respective boost stageincreases the input mains power by a defined power factor, and eachrespective converter stage divides the PFC output voltage into a numberof phases corresponding to the number of converter stages. The systemcontroller may initiate a compensation method in the event of a failureof one or more phases in the converter stages or the PFC boost stages,and wherein the compensation method comprises one of: limiting gain inone or more of the channels, or removing one or more channels from atotal number of channels of the multi-channel amplifier. The PFC circuitmay comprise a two-phase circuit and the LLC power supply comprises athree-phase circuit, and wherein the PFC output voltage is on the orderof 390V. The power supply may have an interface to a user interfacecontroller configured to display graphic messages to report any detectedfailure conditions according to pre-defined message formats through afront panel LED interface and/or and a computer graphical userinterface.

Embodiments are yet further directed to methods of making and using ordeploying the amplifier, speakers, and renderer components to providecontrol over the per-channel gains and lighting control in an immersiveaudio playback system.

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

Each publication, patent, and/or patent application mentioned in thisspecification is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety to thesame extent as if each individual publication and/or patent applicationwas specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated byreference.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the following drawings like reference numbers are used to refer tolike elements. Although the following figures depict various examples,the one or more implementations are not limited to the examples depictedin the figures.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example cinema environment having a surround soundspeaker array powered by multiple power amplifiers as presently known.

FIG. 2A illustrates a cinema environment having a surround sound speakerarray powered by a multi-channel power amplifier under some embodiments.

FIG. 2B shows two or more amplifiers connected together to form amaster/slave configuration under an alternative embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating main functional components of amulti-channel amplifier, under some embodiments.

FIG. 4A illustrates the generation of per-channel gain levels based oncertain amplifier operating characteristics, under some embodiments.

FIG. 4B illustrates calculation of per-channel and global gain values todetermine audio output levels for the speaker feeds, under someembodiments.

FIG. 5 illustrates a multi-channel amplifier operating in a renderingenvironment with lighting control, under some embodiments.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a multi-channel amplifier module undersome embodiments.

FIG. 7 illustrates components of an amplifier and airflow through theamplifier for thermal management, under some embodiments.

FIG. 8 illustrates a circuit for amplifier thermal management, undersome embodiments.

FIG. 9 illustrates an example temperature profile curve for amulti-channel amplifier, under some embodiments.

FIG. 10A illustrates a front panel for use with a multi-channelamplifier and including an LED array under some embodiments.

FIG. 10B shows a front panel for an amplifier having a linear LED array,under an example embodiment.

FIG. 10C is a perspective view of the front panel of FIG. 10B as mountedon an actual amplifier unit.

FIG. 10D shows a front panel for an amplifier having a linear LED array,under an alternative example embodiment.

FIG. 10E is a perspective view of the front panel of FIG. 10D as mountedon an actual amplifier unit.

FIG. 11 is a table that illustrates various modes to be indicatedthrough corresponding display patterns, under some embodiments.

FIGS. 12A, 12B, and 12C illustrate a sweep of the LED array to pinpointspecific channels to a user, under some example embodiments.

FIG. 13 illustrates deployment of multi-channel amplifiers in a digitalcinema environment with front-panel LED messaging, under an embodiment.

FIG. 14 illustrates an example graphical user interface display for anLED messaging system for a multi-channel amplifier, under someembodiments.

FIG. 15 illustrates a power supply stage for a multi-channel amplifierhaving multi-phase power factor correction and multi-phase resonantmode, under some embodiments.

FIG. 16 is a block diagram of the multi-phase power factor correctioncircuit of FIG. 15, under an embodiment.

FIG. 17 is a block diagram of the multi-phase resonant mode powersupply, under an embodiment.

FIG. 18 is a diagram of a multi-channel amplifier incorporating amulti-phase power supply and fault reporting user interface components,under some embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Systems and methods are described for an integrated cinema amplifierhaving a power supply stage that distributes power over a plurality ofchannels for rendering immersive audio content in a surround soundlistening environment. The amplifier automatically detects maximum andnet power availability and requirements based on audio content bydecoding audio metadata and dynamically adjusts gains to each channel orsets of channels based on content and operational/environmentalconditions. The amplifier monitors certain operational and environmentalcharacteristics (e.g., temperature, voltage/current flow, loadconsumption, power supply condition, speaker health) and adjusts channelgains based on load and/or fault conditions. It also includes aninterface to a renderer and can adjust channel gains based on audiocontent. It may also include a closed-loop synchronization circuit toensure that channels are clocked and switched at the same time tomitigate noise, beats, and other distortion.

Systems and methods are also described for an audio amplifier having amulti-phase power supply for redundant provision of supply voltage, anda front panel LED messaging system and graphical user interface forreporting operational fault conditions. These components are intendedfor use in an integrated cinema amplifier having a power supply stagethat distributes power over a plurality of channels for renderingimmersive audio content in a surround sound listening environment. Theamplifier automatically detects maximum and net power availability andrequirements based on audio content by decoding audio metadata anddynamically adjusts gains to each channel or sets of channels based oncontent and operational/environmental conditions. The amplifier monitorscertain operational and environmental characteristics (e.g.,temperature, voltage/current flow, load consumption, power supplycondition, speaker health) and adjusts channel gains based on loadand/or fault conditions. It also includes an interface to a renderer andcan adjust channel gains based on audio content.

The messaging system of the amplifier comprises a front panel LED userinterface that shows different lighting patterns to indicate variousdifferent fault conditions, and that projects this information to userslocated some distance from the amplifier. This optimizes the amplifieroperation in modern digital cinema control booths and installationswhere there is typically a high number of amplifiers and few operatorswho may be located some distance from the hardware, Unique LED array andprogramming sequences simplify and streamline visual communication ofcertain status and operating/fault conditions to the operators byproviding “smart” light animations or sequences that quickly informoperators who may be located some distance away or briefly walking pastthe equipment. In this manner, coded alerts can be easily seen at adistance to indicate specific failure conditions.

Aspects of the one or more embodiments described herein may beimplemented in an audio or audio-visual (AV) system that processessource audio information in a mixing, rendering and playback system thatincludes one or more computers or processing devices executing softwareinstructions. Any of the described embodiments may be used alone ortogether with one another in any combination. Although variousembodiments may have been motivated by various deficiencies with theprior art, which may be discussed or alluded to in one or more places inthe specification, the embodiments do not necessarily address any ofthese deficiencies. In other words, different embodiments may addressdifferent deficiencies that may be discussed in the specification. Someembodiments may only partially address some deficiencies or just onedeficiency that may be discussed in the specification, and someembodiments may not address any of these deficiencies.

For purposes of the present description, the following terms have theassociated meanings: the term “channel” means an audio signal plusmetadata in which the position is coded as a channel identifier, e.g.,left-front or right-top surround; “channel-based audio” is audioformatted for playback through a pre-defined set of speaker zones withassociated nominal locations, for example, 5.1, 7.1, and so on (i.e., acollection of channels as just defined); the term “object” means one ormore audio channels with a parametric source description, such asapparent source position (e.g., 3D coordinates), apparent source width,etc.; “object-based audio” means a collection of objects as justdefined; and “immersive audio,” (alternately “spatial audio” or“adaptive audio”) means channel-based and object or object-based audiosignals plus metadata that renders the audio signals based on theplayback environment using an audio stream plus metadata in which theposition is coded as a 3D position in space; and “listening environment”means any open, partially enclosed, or fully enclosed area, such as aroom that can be used for playback of audio content alone or with videoor other content, and can be embodied in a home, cinema, theater,auditorium, studio, game console, and the like.

Embodiments are directed to a sound processing and amplification systemthat is configured to work with a sound format and processing systemthat may be referred to as an immersive audio system that is based on anaudio format and rendering technology to allow enhanced audienceimmersion, greater artistic control, and system flexibility andscalability. Such a system generally comprises an audio encoding,distribution, and decoding system configured to generate one or morebitstreams containing both conventional channel-based audio andobject-based audio. An example of an adaptive audio system that may beused in conjunction with present embodiments is described in U.S.Provisional Patent Application 61/636,429, filed on Apr. 20, 2012 andentitled “System and Method for Adaptive Audio Signal Generation, Codingand Rendering.”

An example immersive audio system and associated audio format is theDolby Atmos platform. Such a system incorporates a height (up/down)dimension that may be implemented as a 9.1 surround system, or similarsurround sound configuration (e.g., 11.1, 13.1, 19.4, etc.). A 9.1surround system may comprise composed five speakers in the floor planeand four speakers in the height plane. In general, these speakers may beused to produce sound that is designed to emanate from any position moreor less accurately within the listening environment. Though immersiveaudio (such as Atmos) may have been originally developed for movieprograms played in cinema environments, it has been well adapted forhome audio and smaller venue applications. Embodiments are generallydescribed with reference to cinema or large theatre applications, butshould be understood to apply equally well to home or smaller scaleapplications as well.

FIG. 2A illustrates a cinema environment having a surround sound speakerarray powered by a multi-channel power amplifier under some embodiments.As shown in FIG. 2A, a cinema or similar audio/visual (A/V) listeningenvironment 210 has an array of speakers 208 and 214 placed aroundscreen 212 and the listening environment in any appropriate surroundsound arrangement (e.g., 5.1, 7.1, 9.1, etc.). The audio content isprovided by projector 202 through a sound processor 204 and then to amulti-channel amplifier 206. Multi-channel amplifier 206 drives thespeakers 208 and 214 through individual speaker feeds, and in contrastto the array of multiple individual amplifiers 106 shown in FIG. 1, itis a single unitary amplifier unit. In an embodiment, it is provided asa single component for rack mount installation when installed in an A/Vbooth of a cinema.

In an embodiment, amplifier 206 also includes circuitry (not shown) topower the main theatre lights 216 and optional mood or ambient lights(not shown) that may be placed throughout the theatre. This power can betransmitted over the speaker wires, and the lights may be standardtheatre lighting or specially designed modules, such as multi-coloredLED arrays (or similar energy efficient, electronically controlled,multi-colored lighting device) placed in appropriate locations of thelistening area 210. In an alternative embodiment, the lights can beintegrated in at least some of the speaker cabinets (not shown).

For the embodiment of FIG. 2A, the amplifier 206 may be a single unitaryamplifier. FIG. 2B shows an alternative embodiment in which two or moreamplifiers may be connected together in a serial or daisy-chain fashionso that an amplifier system is formed having a master/slaveconfiguration. FIG. 2B illustrates the system of FIG. 2A in which anamplifier system 258 comprises two amplifiers 252 and 254 coupledtogether serially to form a master/slave amp system in which the twoamplifiers work together to power different speakers and or lights ofthe listening environment 210, or in which they provide increased powercapacity for the entire system (e.g., 600 w together instead of 300 wfor a single amp), or redundancy functions in case of a failure or faultconditions. The amplifiers 252 and 254 may be connected over an AES67interface or similar amplifier interface. For the embodiment of FIG. 2B,the master/slave amps are configured such that one amp 252 drives thelights and speakers on one side of the cinema 210, while the other amp254 drives the lights and speakers on the other side of the cinema. Manyother configurations are also possible such as having one amp drive onlythe lights or only the speakers, or having one amp drive the passivespeakers (e.g., the surround speakers 208) and the other amp drive thepowered speakers (e.g., the behind screen speakers 214), or havingdifferent amps drive different sets of interleaved speakers, etc. In anembodiment, the number of channels is increased by the each individualamplifier, such as 2×24 channels for a total of 48 channels for two ampsin amp system 258. Alternatively, the master/slave amps may beconfigured such that number of channels remains the same, but the poweroverhead for each channel increases through the additional amplifier, orany other similar combination of channel and/or power overhead increase.

Although embodiments of FIG. 2B are shown with two amps 252 and 254, itshould be noted that any practical number of amplifiers may be providedwith a single master amp or amp array driving one or more slave amps.

For an embodiment in which an analog amplifier may be available to powerthe speakers, such as an older cinema installation, the amp system maybe coupled to the analog amp through a digital-audio-converter (DAC) toconvert the digital signals from the renderer or sound processor 204into the requisite analog signals for the analog amp.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating main functional components of amulti-channel amplifier, under some embodiments. For the system of FIG.3, audio signals from renderer 302 are amplified in amplifier 304 andtransmitted to speaker array 312.

In an embodiment, the speakers 312 of FIG. 3 are configured and placedto playback immersive audio content in which audio signals beingpresented to the listener originate from in front of and around thelistening position in the horizontal plane (main speakers) and overheadplane (height speakers). A full loudspeaker system layout may consistof: front loudspeakers (e.g., Left, Center, Right, and optionally LeftCenter Right Center, Left Screen, Right Screen, Left Wide, and RightWide), Surround loudspeakers (e.g., Left Surround, Right Surround, andoptionally Left Surround 1, Right Surround 1, Left Surround 2, RightSurround 2), surround back loudspeakers (e.g., Left Rear Surround, RightRear Surround, Center Surround, and optionally Left Rear Surround 1,Right Rear Surround 1, Left Rear Surround 2, Right Rear Surround 2, LeftCenter Surround, Right Center Surround), height loudspeakers (e.g., LeftFront Height, Right Front Height, Left Top Front, Right Top Front, LeftTop Middle, Right Top Middle, Left Top Rear, Right Top Rear, Left RearHeight, Right Rear Height), and subwoofer speakers. This represents oneexample of a speaker configuration, and other configurations are alsopossible.

Component 302 generally represents an audio component that is generallyreferred to as a “renderer.” Such a renderer may include or be coupledto a codec decoder that receives audio signals from a source, decodesthe signals and transmits them to an output stage that generates speakerfeeds to be transmitted to individual speakers in the room. In animmersive audio system, the channels are sent directly to theirassociated speakers or down-mixed to an existing speaker set, and audioobjects are rendered by the decoder in a flexible manner. Thus, therendering function may include aspects of audio decoding, and unlessstated otherwise, the terms “renderer” and “decoder” may both be used torefer to an immersive audio renderer 302, such as shown in FIG. 3, andin general, the term “renderer” refers to a component that transmitsspeaker feeds to the speakers, which may or may not have been decodedupstream. In an embodiment, the AVR or renderer/decoder 305 of FIG. 3comprises an audio/video receiver for use in home entertainmentenvironments (home theater, home television, etc.). The AVR generallyperform multiple functions. First, it provides a connection point formultiple source devices, and the AVR is responsible for switching amongthe inputs, and second, it performs audio decoding and processing (e.g.,surround sound processing, Dolby Pro Logic™ processing, Dolby Digital™processing, Dolby TrueHD™ processing, etc.). It may also provideamplification or pre-amplification for speakers. For the embodiment ofFIG. 3, the amplification to drive the speakers 312 is provided by poweramplifier 304.

In an embodiment, amplifier 302 is a multi-channel, Class-D amplifierthat comprises main functional components of a power sharing controller306, a power subsystem 308, and a fault detector 310. Anenvironmental/operational monitor 314 may be provided as part of theamplifier or as a separate component that provides certain operating andenvironmental condition data to the amplifier. Amplifier 314 ispreferably packaged in a single housing to provide a unitary componentthat works with a compatible renderer or sound process with respect toproviding a number of separate channels (e.g., 24 channels) for playbackof immersive audio content.

In an embodiment, the amplifier 304 provides power sharing or powersteering of the common power sub-system 308 across all of the channelsof a multi-channel speaker output stage. In an example configuration, upto 24 channels may be supported, but other possible embodiments are notso limited. The power subsystem (or “power supply stage”) 308 mayutilize two redundant power supplies (e.g., connected in series orparallel), though other single or multi-power supply configurations arealso possible. The power supplies are redundant in that failure of onesupply will cause the other supply to kick in and provide power to theamplifier. The fault detector 310 monitors the status of the powersubsystem 308 and detects the health of the power supplies. It isconfigured to shut down a failing supply if an error is detected andutilize the remaining power supply to power the unit. In an embodiment,the power supplies may be configured to run in parallel so that eithersupply can provide full power, or they can be run in parallel with eachsupply providing half the power. In this case, failure of one supply maycause audio to play at half the available power (e.g., 41V instead of afull 82V), but this prevents the condition where no audio is availablein the case of a power failure.

In an embodiment, the power supply stage may comprise a plurality ofindividual power supplies configured in a multiple phase architecture,where the different power supplies are designed to operate withdifferent phase angles and sum into a unified output. This embodimentuses multiple power supplies at different phase angles that are thensummed at the outputs to form a singular output. This technique improvespower conversion efficiency, evenly distributes thermal dissipation, andallows redundancy within the power supply stage.

In an embodiment, the internal or external environmental/operationalmonitor 314 periodically samples the audio performance of the theatre orcinema 210 on a regular basis and detects and predicts speaker issues,such as a drop in performance, a blown speaker or one that hasintroduced rub/buzz. The amplifier is configured to shut that channeldown and notify the renderer 302 to re-render the content, mapping outthat faulty speaker and use the other speakers to compensate for thefailed or missing speaker. It can also detect non-speaker performanceissues, such as rub and buzz, in a fixture or tile in the theatre. Thisinformation may be accommodated through re-rendering, or it can bereported to system administrators or personnel.

In an embodiment, the power supply is designed to allow the system tooperate from a normal 120 VAC 20 Amp service without blowing the ACmains circuit breaker. To this end, feedback from the power supply shallbe available from the power supply to signal the system that the maximumoutput is being reached so as not to allow the amplifier to scale-backprocessing to eliminate an over current condition on the mains supply.The amplifier is also configured to operate a wide range of possiblesupply voltages based on country of use or local power supplyvariations. For example, mains power can vary from a low of 100V inJapan to a high of 240V in Australia. The setting of 240V at 20 ampsthus represents the maximum power that the amp can deliver withouttripping any circuit breakers in an installation, and this maximum poweroutput is tailored for each different installation. The monitor 314 andcontroller 306 components provide the maximum power delivered based onthe input power available.

As shown in FIG. 3, the monitor component 314 is coupled to the mainspower 320, which represents a circuit breaker and power junction to thecinema or building power supply. Through this component, the amplifieris configured to detect the power supply levels provided by the mainspower and to adjust the power delivered to the speakers 312 accordingly.The range of mains power can vary depending on country, or facilityconfiguration (such as in buildings with selectable voltages), and theamplifier can be configured to accommodate a wide range of AC voltages,such as between 85-265 VAC at any appropriate phase and current. Maximumpower levels can be programmed into the amplifier through user inputusing known supply ratings and circuit breaker ratings, such as may beprovided during a configuration or installation operation.Alternatively, these values can be determined dynamically by the use oftest signals and test voltages such as to deliberately reset/set thebreaker to determine maximum voltage levels, or by reading relevantparameters from enabled intelligent power supply devices.

The power supply is designed to allow the system to operate from anormal (e.g., 120 VAC 20 Amp) service without blowing the AC mainscircuit breaker. Feedback from the power supply is made available fromthe power supply to signal the system that the maximum output is beingreached so as not to allow the amplifier to scale back processing toeliminate an over-current condition on the mains supply. Certain controlsignals are made available to the system controller 306 for thispurpose, such as 95% power level reached, power fail indication, andpower good.

In an embodiment, amplifier 304 manages the gain of each individualchannel based on certain environmental and operating conditions, asmonitored by the fault detector 310 and environmental/operationalmonitor 314. FIG. 4A illustrates the generation of per-channel gainlevels based on certain amplifier operating characteristics, under someembodiments. As shown in FIG. 4A, the per-channel gains 412 are derivedfrom the output power 410 provided by the amp on each of the channels1-n, where n is any appropriate number of channels, such as provided bythe renderer 302. In an example embodiment in which the renderercorresponds to a Dolby Atmos Cinema Processor (CP850) or similarrenderer, 24 audio channels are output from the renderer and amplifiedindividually by amplifier 304. The output power 402 is a function ofseveral inputs including the input power 402, the audio content 404 andthe environmental/operational conditions 406. As described above, theinput power 402 comprises the AC mains power voltage 320 and the currentdelivery and circuit breaker threshold. These values can be sensed bythe amplifier and/or input into the amp by technician as part ofamplifier installation and setup process. The input power 402 dictatesthe maximum amount of output power 410 that can be provided, and hencethe maximum per-channel gain values 412 that are available to each ofthe channels individually and collectively. As also described above, theper-channel gains can also be set or modified depending on any speakerfault conditions detected by the fault detector 310. In the case of anyfailing or failed speakers, speaker cables, output stage, or any otherspecific channel component, power to that channel may be attenuated orcut and other channels boosted accordingly to compensate.

For the embodiment of FIG. 4A, the audio content 404 can also be used todetermine the output power 410 for each channel In this embodiment, therenderer provides appropriate data to the amp, such as through immersiveaudio metadata that is used by the amplifier to adjust the per-channelgains 412 accordingly. For example, certain center or front channels maybe amplified greater than surround channels if the audio is primarilydialog rather than music. Such content-dependent gain control can beuseful in certain suboptimal conditions, such as when the input power402 is low so that instead of playing dialog at the same level as musicor background audio at equally low levels, the dialog can be enhanced atthe expense of the music to make it relatively more intelligible. Theamplifier and renderer may be configured to communicate and generatespeaker feeds according to a defined time-shift so that the amplifiercan adequately process the audio content data and set the gain levelsaccordingly. For example, the renderer can send content data to theamplifier milliseconds ahead of the actual playback of the signals sothat the amplifier has time to set the gain levels prior to sending thespeaker feeds to the speakers.

In an embodiment, the monitor component 314 (of FIG. 3) monitors themains power to provide an indication of any change of input power 402 tothe amplifier. Any significant change may necessitate a change in theper-channel gains, such as a decrease in power requiring attenuation ofcertain channels, and an increase in power allowing for increasing thegain across all channels. The monitor 314 can also monitor otherexternal conditions, such as ambient temperature in the control room oramplifier enclosure so that in a potential overheating situation ordangerous environmental condition, the output power 410 can be reducedor cut to prevent system failure. The operating conditions 406 representcertain internal amplifier conditions, such as current flow to thespeakers, temperature on a per-channel basis, power supply health,temperature (thermals or thermal conditions) for the power supplies,load consumption on the speaker feeds, and certain Class-D control loop(modulation monitor) conditions. The amplifier is generally configuredto provide full voltage and current on every channel depending on theinput power 402 and other optional characteristics such as the content404 and speaker health 408. In the event of any abnormal internaloperating conditions, the output power can be adjusted to compensate forany problems or potential faults. For example, if the power supplythermal temperature is too high or if the speaker loads are too high,power can be cut.

In an embodiment, the power sharing controller 304 of FIG. 3 can beconfigured or programmed to reduce the gain values by certain definedamounts depending on the compromised or negative condition detected byeither fault detector 310, monitor 314, or on the basis of changed audiocontent from the renderer 302. For example, the per-channel gain for anyparticular channel or channels can be successively cut by −3 dB untilthe fault or problem condition is alleviated. Internal feedback loopswithin the amplifier update the controller with respect to changedoperating conditions in response to the changed per-channel gains. Forexample, in a power supply overheating situation, the controller may cutthe gains across all channels until the monitor 314 detectsstabilization in the thermal condition. Likewise, if a brown-outcondition is detected in which mains power is significantly decreased,the gains may be cut until full power is restored, at which time, thecontroller may re-elevate the gains to their original levels.

The amplifier may also be programmed to implement specific channelshutdown or switchover procedures in the event of serious problems, suchas failure of speakers or input power degradation (e.g., a brown-out orblack-out condition). In such a case, for example, heavily loadedchannels may be shut down and all available sound sent to one or a fewlow power speakers.

The output gains 412 can be set equally for all channels, orindividually so that each channel or certain sets of channels havedifferent gain values. In this manner, the per-channel gains can beadjusted to form a hierarchy or prioritized sets of gains. This allowsthe gains to be increased or decreased based on relevant characteristicssuch as content in relation to input power, potential failure conditionsof speakers or power supply components, speaker loads, current draw, andso on. The order of priority dictates the relative amount of gainassigned on a per-channel basis for each level of priority. For example,with reference to FIG. 2A or 2B, speakers 214 may be assigned priority1, the rear bank of surround speakers 208 may be assigned priority 2,the L/R banks of surround speakers 208 may be assigned priority 3, andthe LFE may be assigned priority 4. In this case, the priority 1speakers may be the last speakers to be attenuated in case of adverseenvironmental or operating conditions, while the LFE and side surroundspeakers would be the first channels to be attenuated or cut. As shouldbe noted, any grouping of channels and desired priority levels may beassigned depending on the capabilities and constraints of the playbacksystem.

In an embodiment, the per-channel gain values applied to the channels ofthe output audio comprise per-channel gains and global (system) gains.FIG. 4B illustrates calculation of per-channel and global gain values todetermine audio output levels for the speaker feeds, under someembodiments. As shown in FIG. 4B, the input audio channels (e.g., 24channels, though other numbers of channels are also possible) are inputto a per-channel gain calculator 422 for the n channels and a globalgain calculator 426 for the n channels. The per-channel gain calculatorreceives input parameters 424 from one or more sensors or componentswithin the amplifier and listening environment, such as the faultdetector 310 and monitor 314. For the embodiment shown, these inputparameters 424 include: Tx, the per-channel amplification stagetemperature; Vx, the per-channel voltage, Ix, the per-channel current;and Dx, the PWM duty cycle. The calculated per-channel gains Gx are theninput to the global gain calculator 426 along with the audio inputsignal. The global gain calculator 426 receives input parameters 428from the appropriate sensors and components. For the embodiment shown,these input parameters 424 include: Tp, the power-stage temperature; Ta,the ambient temperature; Vg, total voltage; and Ig, the total current.The input parameters 424 and 426 represent an example set ofcharacteristics and other similar and appropriate parameters may be useddepending on application, content, and environmental conditions.

As shown in FIG. 4B, the per-channel gain values Gx are combined withand applied to each corresponding channel of the audio input signal. Theglobal gain value G from calculator 426 is then applied to the audiosignal after the per-channel gains are applied to produce the speakeroutput channel feeds 430.

In an embodiment, gain adjustments are made according to the followingalgorithm (where Pr is the recommended power):

Gain Adjustments:

-   -   If (Ig*Vg>Pr) then global gain (G) can be reduced until        Ig*Vg<=Pr        -   This can also be done by analyzing the content and dropping            Gx for the channels with high peaks.        -   Can also do both, i.e., dropping the per-channel gain on            high-peak channels by a predefined acceptable amount and            then dropping the overall gain until Pr Ta has inverse            relation to G. There is a longer time constant to measure            and act on this.    -   Tp has an inverse relation on Pr; for example, the higher the        temperature, the lower recommended power usage will be for the        system.    -   Ix*Vx (channel power) cannot exceed per-channel recommended        power (Prx) and the gain (Gx) will be reduced until it does.    -   Tx has an inverse relation to the per-channel recommended power        (Prx).    -   Dx may be an on/off switch for the channel.

The global gain G represents the power distribution for the system andtakes into account ambient and amplifier temperatures and total voltageand current values. The per-channel gains take into account individualchannel voltages, currents, and temperatures, as well as the PWM (pulsewidth modulated) duty cycles. In an embodiment, the power controlleradjusts the per-channel gain values based on per-channelcharacteristics, power distribution characteristics, speaker healthcharacteristics, and mains power supply characteristics.

With regard to speaker health monitoring, the Vx and Ix parameters canbe used to provide the frequency response of a speaker (using Fouriertransforms) and can help gauge the health of individual drivers. This isdone by measuring impedance (Z=V/I) and verifying that it matches theexpected curve for the speaker. A system can flag the speaker as“broken” for re-rendering or transmit a user alert, and/or turn off thatspeaker. Any alert or flag can then be transmitted to a systemadministrator, theatre staff or NOC (Network Operations Center) forfurther action. This signal can also be generated for non-speakerperformance issues, such as rub and buzz, in a fixture or tile in thetheatre.

Cinema Lighting Control

FIG. 5 illustrates a multi-channel amplifier operating in a renderingenvironment with lighting control, under some embodiments. As statedabove, in an embodiment, the amplifier 504 is configured to work inconjunction with a compatible renderer 502 that provides the audiosignals over the same number of channels (speaker feeds) output by theamplifier. Such a renderer may be a Dolby Atmos Cinema Processor CP850,or similar sound processor. This renderer plays back traditional 5.1 and7.1 surround sound formats, as well as immersive audio content such asDolby Atmos, which comprises audio objects and beds (channel-basedaudio). In general, audio objects can be considered as groups of soundelements that may be perceived to emanate from a particular physicallocation or locations in the listening environment. Such objects can bestatic (stationary) or dynamic (moving). Audio objects are controlled bymetadata that defines the position of the sound at a given point intime, along with other functions. When objects are played back, they arerendered according to the positional metadata using the speakers thatare present, rather than necessarily being output to a predefinedchannel In an immersive audio decoder, the channels are sent directly totheir associated speakers or down-mixed to an existing speaker set, andaudio objects are rendered by the decoder in a flexible manner. Theparametric source description associated with each object, such as apositional trajectory in 3D space, is taken as an input along with thenumber and position of speakers connected to the decoder. The rendererutilizes certain algorithms to distribute the audio associated with eachobject across the attached set of speakers. The authored spatial intentof each object is thus optimally presented over the specific speakerconfiguration that is present in the listening environment.

For the embodiment of FIG. 5, the renderer 502 comprises an immersiveaudio rendering module and channel gain control to transmit theappropriate digital audio signals to the amplifier 504. A metadataprocessor processes the corresponding parametricposition/location/trajectory data for audio objects to generate theN-channel speaker feeds to the amplifier 504. The amplifier 504 includesa common power subsystem that provides power to all channels of speakerarray 508, and sets the per-channel gain values based on the audiocontent and input from a monitor component that monitors power,environmental and operating conditions. The amplifier 504 may alsoinclude a closed-loop synchronization circuit to ensure that channelsare clocked and switched at the same time to mitigate noise, beats, andother distortion.

In an embodiment, the amplifier also includes or is coupled to alighting control unit 510 that uses the amplifiers power subsystem topower the lights 512 of the listening environment (e.g., cinema ortheatre). The light array 512 may be any appropriate light or set oflights within the cinema, and may include direct (ceiling/wall) lights,ambient lights, floor path lights, seat lights, and the like. The lightsmay also be integrated into the speaker. The lights 512 may be coupledto the controller 510 through wired or wireless transmission means.

Metadata from the renderer 502 is received by the amplifier 504 and usedto change the lights based on the content generated by the renderer. Themetadata may include definitions that dictate light levels(color/intensity), or it may be standard immersive audio metadata thatis interpreted by the lighting control unit 510 to generate theappropriate lighting signals to light array 512. The lighting controlunit uses the metadata to automate and enhance the ambience of thelistening environment. In an embodiment, the light array comprisesambient lights, while the main cinema lights are controlled separately,such as by the cinema operator. The ambient lights may be RGB LEDs thatchange color based on metadata from the exhibitors to enhance thecontent marketing, mood of the environment, or augment the audio byproviding lighting cues in sync with the audio. The lighting intensityand colors can be changed based on the events of the showing, such aspre-show, intermission, and post-show. For example, the ambient colorcan be changed to that of the cinema brand or sponsor during theseperiods when the movie is not playing. The lighting can be synchronizedto any music or messages playing in the background, as well. Using thecommon power subsystem of the amplifier, power is split between thespeakers and the lights, so that during a light control period, power tothe speakers may be reduced to accommodate powering the lights. Thus,when the ambient or main lights are on, most of the power delivered canbe to the lights, and as the lights fade in preparation for pre-showtrailers, power is shared and/or switched in the amplifier/speakers fromlights to the audio. Light and audio power can be provided using thesame two speaker wires, which helps greatly reduce the cost ofinstallation, as separate power lines do not need to be run to thelights. It also greatly enhances automation, as metadata for the audiocontent can also be used to control the lights, thus ensuringsynchronization between lights and sound, and balanced powerdistribution between the light and speaker feeds.

The lighting control unit 510 may also include an effects controller sothat besides lights, other actuators or effects 513 can be controlled bythe amplifier in sync with the audio content using the metadata that iseither generated by the renderer or is transferred in the content. Theseinclude steam generators, water sprinklers, fans, smell/aromagenerators, prop movements, LCD displays, holograms, and so on. Suchactuators may be used when the amplifier is deployed in applicationssuch as theme parks, simulators, and industrial/military installations.

Thermal Management

In an embodiment, the amplifier includes a thermal management systemthat consists of arrays of main and auxiliary fans, and temperaturesensors across all channels, power supplies, and the chassis. Sensoroutputs are collected, analyzed and fed back to a thermal controllerwhich controls fan speed across the system. Included in this system is apredictive temperature control apparatus design to adjust future thermalprofiles based on known or established environmental behaviors. Forexample, an adjustment can be made when a predicted temperature profilelooks to be ramped beyond a set limit.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a multi-channel amplifier module undersome embodiments. For amplifier module 600, a unitary chassis 602 holdsa number of individual amplifier circuits that finned heatsinks 604 fordissipation of heat. A number of fans 606 may be provided at appropriatelocations of the chassis to drive air over and through the amplifiercircuits out through vents in the chassis 602. Any appropriate number,size, and power of fans may be used depending on the configuration andpower output of the amplifier circuits and overall amplifier module 600.

FIG. 7 illustrates components of an amplifier and airflow through theamplifier for thermal management, under some embodiments. As shown inFIG. 7, amplifier 700 includes an amplifier stack 712 (e.g.,corresponding to amplifier module 600 in FIG. 6), a main power supply706 and other power supplies 707. A mounting chassis 701 encloses thesemain components and provides a structure for mounting in a rack or otherinstallation, as well as routing passages for air flow through theamplifier. Air flows in through air inlet 702 as drawn in by main fans708 to flow over the main and other power supplies 706, 707. Auxiliaryfans 710 (e.g., corresponding to fans 606 in FIG. 6) help drive the airover the amplifier stack 712 to vent out 704 through the front (and/orsides or other surfaces) of the amplifier. One or more sets of auxiliaryor additional fans 714 and 716 may be provided to draw or drive air overother components or areas of the amplifier. The configuration of airvents, fans, and components for amplifier 700 are provided for purposesof illustration of possible embodiments, and other configurations arealso possible.

In general, the thermal management system of the multi-channel amplifier600 comprises speed control of the fans. The main, auxiliary and otherfans may each be variable speed fans whose speed is controlled by acontroller that monitors the thermal characteristics of the amplifier,which may include per-channel temperatures, power supply temperatures,internal chassis temperature, ambient temperature, and any otherrelevant temperatures. The fans may be set to operate at a default orminimum speed, and then increased to provide greater cooling if thesensors indicate that one or more of the relevant temperatures increasesabove a defined limit. Once the temperature or temperatures comprisingthe thermal profile is within a safe operating range, the speed of thefans may be decreased to minimize power consumption and reduce operatingnoise and vibration.

FIG. 8 illustrates a circuit for amplifier thermal management, undersome embodiments. As shown in FIG. 8, circuit 800 receives audio input,which is summed with a feedback signal from a number of temperaturesensors 812. The sensors are located and configured to sense therelevant temperatures comprising the thermal profile of the amplifier,such as per-channel temperature, power supply temperature, ambienttemperature, and any predictive inputs. The signal is then passed to acontroller unit 804, which is coupled to the fans 806. The fans arecontrolled by one or more tachometers 808 for speed control overindividual fans or arrays of fans within the amplifier. The audiocontent is then transmitted through amplifier stage 810 to form theaudio output 814. The audio output comprises the individual channels(e.g., 24 channels) of the amplifier, which also provide the input to atleast some of the sensors 812.

As shown in FIG. 8, a predictive temperature control component may beused to adjust future thermal profiles based on known or establishedenvironmental behaviors. For example, an adjustment can be made when atemperature profile is predicted to increase beyond a set limit. FIG. 9illustrates an example temperature profile curve for a multi-channelamplifier, under some embodiments. The plot of FIG. shows a relevanttemperature measurement of the amplifier over time. A limit 906 isdefined at a set temperature to define the highest acceptable operatingtemperature of the amplifier. A measured or predicted temperatureprofile 902 plots the temperature as it rises and falls over time. Ifthe controller 804 determines, predicts or is provided sensor data thatindicates that the temperature profile plot will or has exceeded the setlimit 906, the fans are actuated or accelerated to lower the temperatureso that it remains below the limit. This fan control constitutes thecorrective action performed by the controller and yields the correctivetemperature profile 904. In this manner, the thermal conditions of theamplifier can be controlled. FIG. 9 may represent an overall internaltemperature of the amplifier or it may represent any one of the relevanttemperatures comprising the thermal profile, i.e., individual channeltemperature, power supply temperature, ambient temperature, etc.

Front-Panel LED Messaging

Embodiments of the multi-channel amplifier 206 of FIG. 2A may include afront panel that includes one or more arrays of LEDs (or similar lights)that message various different operational and/or failure conditionsthrough pre-defined light sequences. The light sequences may be uniquecombinations of color, timing, flashing, or sequence patterns. FIG. 10Aillustrates a front panel for use with a multi-channel amplifier andincluding an LED array under some embodiments. As shown in FIG. 10A,front panel 1000 comprises different portions including a perforatedportion 1002 that covers a majority of the front portion of theamplifier and provides protection as well as ventilation to allow heatto escape from the interior of the amplifier. The bottom portion 1004 ofthe front panel may include an I/O portion that provides one or moreconnectors or ports 1006 to connect auxiliary devices, such as USB orother similar interface devices, one or more input controls such as mainpower button 1007 may also be provided. A second part of the bottomportion provides a number of LED lights 1008 arranged in a straightlinear array. The size and number of LED lights may be adapted dependingon system configuration, front panel space, and so on. The LED lightsmay be single color, but are preferably RGB (red/green/blue) LEDs thatindividually display different colors. They can be of any shape (e.g.,round, rectangle, triangle) depending on design and configurationpreference.

The number of individual LEDs or light elements in array 1008 can varydepending on the number of channels the amplifier provides, and/or thenumber that are monitored in the amplifier. For a high channel countamplifier, channels may be combined for representation by a single LEDto reduce the number of LEDs required and prevent the need forover-elaborate or hard-to-see messaging sequences. For the exampleembodiment shown in FIG. 10A, 32 individual LEDs are provided. These canrepresent one LED per channel in a 32-channel amplifier, or one LED eachfor a number of channels of the amplifier. If the amplifier is a160-channel amplifier, each LED represents five channels.

The LEDs may be arranged in any appropriate array, such as a singlehorizontal line, two or more lines, vertical lines, diagonal lines, andso on. Under a preferred embodiment, the arrays are arranged as a singlelinear array, as shown. The lighting sequence described in greaterdetail below will be described with reference to affecting an animationacross this linear array, but it should be noted that similar sequencescan be adopted for other possible array configurations. The LEDs may begrouped such as into four groups of 8 LEDs each for 32-channels, or anyother grouping that is visually appealing and appropriate.

FIG. 10B illustrates a front-panel for an amplifier having an LED arrayunder an example embodiment for a rack-mountable amplifier. As shown inFIG. 10B, front panel 1020 includes the linear array of LEDs 1022arranged in a relatively tight line of LEDs, which may be round,rectangular or any shape. In an embodiment, the LEDs nominally displaythe signal strength per channel and then light according to an animationsequence in the event of any defined fault or other operationalcondition. To provide a smooth animation, the LEDs are typically locatedclosely together to provide a “streaming” light effect. Alternatively,the LEDs may be grouped to show different sets of channels for ease ofchannel distinction. Other switches or interfaces 1023 may also beprovided, each of which may have their own associated LEDs or lights.

FIG. 10C is a perspective view of the front panel of FIG. 10B as mountedon an actual amplifier unit. As shown in FIG. 10C, front panel 1020 ismounted to a front surface of amplifier 1024 and provides mountingflanges 1025 and hardware for rack mount installation. The LED array1022 is positioned in an appropriate location of the front panel, andmay be flush to the surface of the front panel, or placed in an insetportion or strip of the panel. Reflective material or lenses may be usedto enhance or amplify the light effect or provide a glow when the LEDslight.

The amplifier may be implemented as a full-height, half-height rackmountor standalone unit. The front panel may thus be of any appropriate size.FIG. 10D shows a front panel for an amplifier having a linear LED array,under an alternative example embodiment. For this embodiment, the frontpanel 1040 is mounted to a slim-line amplifier, or even a pre-amplifierunit or other sound processing unit that sends and receives signals to aseparate audio or power amplifier unit. The LED array 1042 is shown asbeing an array that is located along substantially the entire width ofthe panel, though embodiments are not so limited. FIG. 10E is aperspective view of the front panel 1040 of FIG. 10D as mounted on anactual amplifier unit 1044. FIGS. 10D and 10E illustrates just onealternative embodiment of the front panel and associated amplifier unit,and many other configurations are also possible.

It should be noted that any of the shapes that are shown in FIGS.10A-10E and any of the other figures may be implemented or designed withalternate appearances that nevertheless perform the same function.

In an embodiment, the LED array is coupled to a control unit that takesinputs from sensors in the amplifier that monitor operational and faultconditions, such as thermal conditions, signal level, channelhealth/failure, cable connectivity, current draw, and other similaroperational characteristics. Normal operation may be indicated by thelights displaying a default light pattern, such as each channel orchannel group LED showing output signal strength as a function of LEDintensity and/or color. In the event of a failure condition where theamplifier needs the attention of an operator, such as one who is afar-away operator and making the rounds for many amps, the control unitanimates the LEDs in unison to send out a light pattern (e.g., S.O.S.signal) that can be easily seen from a distance.

The control unit is programmed with various different lighting patternsthat cause the front panel LED array user interface to display visualcues that convey certain status information, including: (1) positive,normal operation, (2) error states, and (3) warnings and alerts. Variousdifferent operational modes can be shown through the appropriatelighting patterns, such as: amplifier boot-up (initiated, in progress,complete states), stand-by mode engaged, normal operational state, andsystem shut-down, among other modes. FIG. 11 is a table that illustratesvarious modes to be indicated through corresponding display patterns,under some embodiments. Table 1100 shows some example operating statesand conditions that may be displayed through LED lighting patterns toinform/alert the operator of normal and abnormal operation. Thedisplayed conditions include amplifier and channel status and each has aunique corresponding display pattern to distinguish it from the otherconditions. Example patterns are shown for the enumerated conditions.FIG. 11 is provided for example only, and many other conditions andlighting patterns are possible.

Through the messaging light sequences, normal operation (e.g., startup,standby, normal signal presence, shutdown) is typically indicated bywhat may be considered conventional display patterns, while abnormalconditions (e.g., channel overload, channel failure, system failure) areindicated by display patterns signifying error and warning messages towhich the user (operator) should pay attention and potentially takeaction to rectify.

In an embodiment, the display patterns utilize the color range of eachRGB LED and the spacing of the LEDs in the array to create a visualrepresentation of an animation through sweeping scans of colored light.Various different parameters are programmed to produce the appropriatedisplay pattern, including, but not limited to:

1. LED Color

2. LED Intensity

3. Start Point/End Point

4. Sweep Speed

5. Sweep Sequencing

6. LED or Array Flashing/Pulsing

The sweep pattern can be generated by lighting immediately contiguousLEDs or it may skip certain LEDs to create an interpolated sweeppattern. To create certain animation effects, various different LEDcharacteristics could be varied, such as color duration, interpolation,and so on. For example, a sweep could start fast and slow down as itapproaches the failed channel, and/or it could change color, or theinterval could be changed so that every other LED is lighted at thebeginning of the sweep, while every LED is lighted at a brighterintensity toward the end of the sweep, and any other possible variation.

The display patterns combine and alter any one or more of these LEDparameters to provide a unique pattern for each condition by usingvisual and timing properties that can be easily discerned at a glance,even from a distance. In general, positive messages such as normaloperation are intended to be clear yet more subdued in their visualpresentation; consequently, they may be programed to be “calmer” in howthey animate (e.g., steady single color light). In contrast, negativemessages for errors and warnings are designed to behave in a more starkand attention-grabbing manner, such as through bright or discordantcolors or effects such as flashing, and so on.

Any appropriate color or color combination can be used depending on userpreference, and certain known conventions may be adopted, such as greenor blue for good condition, yellow for warning, red for bad conditions,and so on. The use of RGB LEDs allows for an increase the “wordresolution” of the messaging that is conveyed for each channel. Forexample, 16 different levels of color saturation and luminosity in eachchannel LED may be used to indicate the signal presence level of eachindividual channel during normal operation. This signaling can then beinterrupted and re-purposed to alert the user of error states or channelfailures that need fixing.

In an embodiment, the LED array is used to provide immediate statusinformation for individual channels or channel groups. This isaccomplished through a sweep function that uses motion across the LEDarray (x-axis) to “point” at a particular channel or group of channels.FIGS. 12A-C illustrate a sweep of the LED array to pinpoint specificchannels to a user. FIG. 12A illustrates consecutive lighting of LEDS inthe array to show an animation that sweeps left to right across the faceof the amplifier. The sweep pattern can be performed from either side tothe other side, or from both sides in to point to a particular channelThus, FIG. 12B shows the LEDs sweeping inward to point to one channel,while FIG. 12C shows the LEDs sweeping inward to point to anotherchannel. As each LED lights in sequence it can either stay on or turnoff, and the channel that is pointed to can be displayed in a highlycontrasting color or as a flashing LED.

In a high-channel count cinema amplifier, it is possible that multiplechannels may encounter fault problems. The LED messaging system providesan effective means to quickly see exactly which channels are faulty. Ifonly one channel is faulty, the left and right sides of the arrayanimation converge on the faulty channel. If more than one channel isfaulty, the left and right sides of the animation converge on the centerpoint of the LED array and then each faulty channel blinks.Alternatively, the animation can converge on each faulty channel LED inquick sequence, with all faulty channel LED's persisting in a blinkingor contrasting color state.

As shown in FIG. 11, many different display or lighting sequences(animations) can be programmed for different operating and faultcondition states. Some example animations include:

1. System Bootup: LEDs light up sequentially in a defined color (e.g.,blue).

2. System Standby: LEDs dim sequentially or fade out together and powerlight goes on.

3. Amp Shutdown: All LEDs flash to red (or other color) then fade out.

4. Amp Failure: LEDs continuously ripple in red (or other) color.

5. Channel(s) Shutdown: Animation sequence points to faulty LEDs.

6. Signal Presence: LEDs glow according to strength and change colorwhen clipping (e.g., blue to white).

These are just some examples of amplifier state and animationcombinations, and any other appropriate messaging animations for anyappropriate operational mode or fault condition can be used.

The use of the sweeping LED animation shown in FIGS. 12A-C representdisplay patterns used for significant error states. It is a unique,attention-grabbing physical messaging system and user experience thatworks both at close proximity and from a distance. It essentially actsas an LED semaphore system that marshals all the single channel LEDsinto collections with a common purpose of pointing at something, sharinga behavior, and then transitioning from this strong visual indicator toanimations of individual LEDs that pinpoint the actual channels at fault(and indicate the type of fault). As such these “smart” LED animationsand transitions provide focused and relevant information. Thus, the LEDsprovide a front panel interface that alerts a user that the amplifierneeds attention by animating the LEDs in unison to send out an alert orS.O.S. signal that can be easily seen from a distance.

The animations may be looped so that faulty conditions are continuouslydisplayed until user action is taken. Alternatively, they may bedisplayed for a set period of time before another type of alert isprovided, such as a sounded alarm, text message, automated phone call,GUI message, or other similar type of remote alarm.

In an embodiment, this “arm and hand waving” call to attention isprogrammed as one or more display patterns that are programmed into asoftware executable provided by the control unit coupled to the LEDarray, or programmed into an FPGA (or similar device) controlling theLEDs, or hardwired into the LED control circuitry. In an embodiment ofthe multi-channel amplifier embodiment, the LED control program can beinvoked by the amplifier main software when sending instructions andvalues to the LEDs. The display patterns utilize certain LED functionsto provide corresponding the animations and transitions. These include:color and light intensity, such that by using RGB LEDs, the systemcreates distinct and simple “messages” constructed with a) lightintensity, b) blinking frequencies, and c) color variations. The programcan independently animate red, green, and blue start and end values(e.g., from 0 to 65535) for each LED, as well as for each transition ofany given LED. The system creates the sensation of movement bysuccessively turning contiguous LEDs on and off across the x-axis to“point” to one or more channels that need attention, as shown in FIGS.12B and 12C.

The program also provides certain timing algorithms. For example, ifanimation A starts from the left-most LED, and animation Bsimultaneously starts from the right-most LED, and they share the sameending point across the x-axis (i.e., to point to a specific channel),the timing algorithms calculate the duration of each transition so thatthe two animations reach the same destination at the same time. Thesystem allows any number of LEDs to form a collection of LEDs, whereeach LED collection has its own behavior as a group. The system cantrigger two collections at once. For individual transitions, the systemallows LEDs to switch from “array signaling” through collections toindividual “pinpoint mode.” This allows the system to transition toindividual LEDs, each of which may have their own animations to indicatetheir current condition. The system also features successive and delayedtiming. Collections and transitions can be placed on a virtual timelineto create programmatically complex yet visually simple and richanimations. The system can offset the start of one collection relativeto another to create special visual effects such as quick blooming andfading out slowly (i.e., akin to keyframe interpolation).

In an embodiment, the amplifier is designed to monitor itself and sendthe necessary messages to the front panel LED system to display theappropriate “messages” and, in the case of major errors, loop thoseanimations and transitions until the error conditions have beenresolved. Specific display patterns may be provided by the system asdefault settings, or they may be user configurable to at least somedegree, such as in choice of color, animation speeds, etc.

With respect to the LED messaging system, in general, a display patternis a collection of animations and array sequences; where an arraysequence is a set of start/end indices and values, animations,durations, and timing offsets (i.e., when to start). An animation is acollection of transitions, where a transition specifies individual LEDproperties, interpolations, and delays. The following example dataelements can be used to illustrate the structure of a display pattern,under an embodiment:

-   Transition_LED (property, start/end, duration, interpolation,    delay)→Property (LED color, LED brightness)-   Animation (collection of transitions)-   Array Sequence (start/end animation, total duration, scale duration)-   Display Pattern (animation, array sequence

In an embodiment, the multi-channel amplifier and front panel LEDmessaging system can be used in a digital cinema environment in which anoperator is typically far away from the equipment rack holding themultiple amplifiers used in the overall system. Such distances can be upto 30 feet or more, as compared to the typical six-foot distancetypically encountered in older digital systems built around smallcontrol booths. The messaging system allows the operator to see thefunctioning of each amplifier from a distance and while walking aroundthe various equipment racks. FIG. 13 illustrates deployment ofmulti-channel amplifiers in a digital cinema environment withfront-panel LED messaging, under an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 13, adigital cinema room 1300 contains a number of projectors 1302, eachhaving a respective rack of amplifiers 1304 and projecting againstrespective screens labeled 1310 a to 1310 d. Many different cinemaconfigurations are possible, and depending on the cinema, the room 1300can be quite large (e.g., on the order of 60 to 90 feet wide) dependingon the number of projectors and screens. Usually a single operator 1306monitors and operates all of the digital projectors, and thus needs towatch the equipment racks for each projector. In present multi-channelsystems, the entire number of audio channels operating at once can beextremely high if all or most projectors operate at the same time. Afault in any one channel, must therefore be identified quickly andaccurately to ensure smooth operation. The front panel LED messagingsystem provides a means to communicate the operating health of eachamplifier channel in an effective manner and over great distances in acrowded equipment environment.

The messaging system is configured to provide different levels ofmessaging depending on the proximity of the user 1306 to the amplifier.As described above, certain “arm waving” display messages are programmedto project error messages for messaging over a distance. For closeproximity, the display messages for normal operation states (e.g., whereaudio is being played back into the auditorium normally), the signalpresence ranges from a low signal indicator (e.g., blue light) to ahigher signal, audio signal with limit in effect (e.g., white light).The display message is programmed such that these normal conditions donot draw too much attention to themselves from a distance, as they areoptimized for reads at closer proximity, and appear as a softer glowfrom a distance, thus allowing error conditions to be readilydistinguished over that distance.

In an embodiment, the user 1306 may control the operation of theprojectors and amplifiers through a computer 1308. In an embodiment, theLED messaging system is replicated through the graphical user interface(GUI) of the control computer 1308 so that amplifier channel status andgeneral operating conditions are presented to the user readily through acentral user interface that is usually right in front of the user. Thecomputer 1308 may be embodied in a client or server computer located inthe cinema, venue, or control room 1300, or it may be embodied as alaptop or notebook computer carried by the user, or even a portabledevice, such as a tablet or mobile phone. As shown in FIG. 14, UIdisplay 1400 has a number of display areas to provide information andinput areas for various aspects of amplifier operation and systemconfiguration. For the example of FIG. 14, the amplifier control area1404 shows the LED indicator lights for each channel and the light array1404 shown in the UI corresponds to the front panel LED arrays 1012 foran amplifier. In an embodiment, the UI receives the same LED controlfeeds as the front panel, and thus lights up simultaneously and inaccordance with the LEDs on the front panel itself. The LED display 1404may correspond to the layout of the actual front panel LED array, or itmay be different. For the example shown in FIG. 14, the LEDs arenumbered by channel and grouped in four groups of eight channels (for 32total channels). This facilitates easy location of a specific amplifiercard within a rack mount that may include four cards for the 32channels. Any other UI layout can be used depending on the amplifierhardware layout within the rack or racks.

Additional display areas of the UI may be provided for other aspects ofthe amplifier, such as a AC mains area 1406 that displays a status ofthe power supply condition, with appropriate warning of instructionmessages. Amplifier configuration parameters may also be displayed suchas in area 1408, which shows a bridge configuration for the channelsthat groups or bridges certain channels together. Other configurationparameters and associated input controls and status indicators can alsobe provided, such as channel/speaker assignments, channelconfigurations, and so on. The UI of FIG. 14 is intended to be forpurposes of illustration only, and many other UI screens may be providedwith different display areas and formats.

The UI 1400 may be configured to display configuration and operatinginformation for one amplifier or for multiple amplifiers. For multipleamplifiers, all of the LED front panel displays may be shown on one UIscreen so that an operator watching the UI screen can see the status ofeach amplifier without needing to scan or walk across the cinemaenvironment. Other display areas in the UI may be provided for overallcinema operation including projector control and amplifier control.

In an embodiment, the control unit controlling the LED arrays for eachamplifier transmits the LED control signals to the computer 1308 eitherthrough wired or wireless communication links.

Although examples of the front panel messaging system have beendescribed with respect to implementation through LED light arrays, itshould be understood that embodiments are not so limited. Alternatively,the light array for condition messaging may be implemented through anLCD (liquid crystal display) screen that is configured to display pixelsor other display elements in the form of lights or sequenced imageobjects that can provide the same type of light messaging.

Multi-Phase Power Supply

For the embodiment of the amplifier 504 illustrated in FIG. 5, all ofthe output channels (e.g., 24 or 36 channels) are driven by a singlepower subsystem or power supply. Embodiments include a multi-phase powersupply design that incorporates dual or triple redundancy to prevent apower supply failure condition from knocking out all of the channels.

FIG. 15 illustrates a power supply stage for a multi-channel amplifierhaving multi-phase power factor correction and multi-phase resonantmode, under some embodiments. Power supply 1500 includes a multi-phaseresonant mode DC-DC power supply component 1510 with phase-loss faulttolerance and detection. This component includes circuitry that providesa high-level of fault tolerance (i.e., device failures), and maintains areasonable level of operability, such that the amplifier will continueto operate on all or substantially all the channels. It can also informthe user of a fault condition, either through the LED or UI messaginginterface, or other alarm or indication method. The multi-phaseconverter 1510 provides at least two phases of resonant-mode powerconversion (or three-phases as shown), where the power supply cancontinue operating properly even after losing one or more phases. If aphase of the resonant-mode converter fails, the following occurs: (A)the fault is isolated (i.e., it doesn't bring down the remainingphases), (B) the fault is detected and the operator can be notified asneeded, (C) the remaining phases can continue to operate as normal, and(D) other amplifier components can employ power limited as needed tokeep the power supply circuitry from exceeding long-term maximumthreshold values.

For the embodiment of FIG. 15, a multi-phase power factor correctioncomponent 1508 with phase-loss fault tolerance and detection is coupledto the converter 1510 as a power factor front-end pre-regulator. Thiscomponent 1508 effectively operates as another power conversion circuitto provide additional levels of redundancy in the event of failureconditions. The two multi-phase components work together to providepower conversion circuits that take the input (mains) power and provideswitching at different phases. Diagnostic circuitry monitors the phasesand any lost phases are detected and the fault condition is transmittedto the system controller for reporting through the appropriate userinterface (e.g., front panel LED or computer UI). Phase loss can also betransmitted to other amplifier components such as FPGA controllermodules that can reduce or limit gains on the channels to allow thepower supply to operate with less than the full number of phases.Examples of such an FPGA controller are described in co-pending U.S.Provisional Patent Application 62/429,662, filed on Dec. 2, 2016 andentitled “Multi-Channel Amplifier with Continuous Time Class-D Modulatorwith embedded Programmable Logic Device.”

In an embodiment, mains power in the range of 85-264 VAC at 15 A/20 A(depending on geographical region) is provided to the power supplythrough one or more line filter, limiter, and/or diode bridge components1502. This input power is monitored by a power controller circuit 1504that contains sub-components such as a relay timer, power factorcorrection controller, LLC control, and other similar components. Theinput power is also transmitted to the multi-phase power factorcorrection circuit 1508. For the embodiment shown, this is a two-phasecomponent (but any number of phases may be used) that outputs power atan increased level, such as 390V. This power is then input to themulti-phase resonant converter 1510. For the embodiment shown, this is athree-phase component (but any number of phases may be used) thatoutputs power to the power amplifiers in three phases. For power supply1500, certain voltage/current measurement and protection circuits 1514are coupled to various points of the circuitry to measure operatingconditions such as AC voltages, thermal conditions, fault protectionconditions, and so on. These measurements are transmitted to a systemcontroller 1512 which also takes input from the power controller 1504and the multi-phase components 1508 and 1510 to provide gain control andenable signals to the power amplifiers.

The multi-phase components 1508 and 1510 operate such that the mainspower is increased in two phases to 390V by the power factor correctioncomponent 1508. This 390V is then divided into three 63 kHz phases byconverter 1510. In an example embodiment, the three phases are 0degrees, 120 degrees, and 240 degrees, though other phases are alsopossible. These phases are then fed into the system controller 1512 formonitoring. If any one or two of the phases fails, power is stillprovided in the remaining phase. The occurrence of a failed phase orphases is reported by the system controller 1512 through the appropriateuser interface. This failure information can also be used by the systemcontroller to adjust the gains so that the amplifier can continue tooperate in a reduce capacity, such as by limiting gains to one or moreof the channels, cutting out certain channels, and other compensatorymeasures.

This power supply design effectively splits the input power into three(or more) independent and redundant power paths, so that if any one ortwo paths goes down due to hardware or other failure, the remainingpaths continue to provide power. The phases of each component 1508 and1510 represent the multiple power paths.

FIG. 16 is a block diagram of the multi-phase power factor correctioncircuit of FIG. 15, under an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 16, the powerfactor correction (PFC) circuit 1508 takes AC voltage from the mainspower supply through a line filter 1602, which distributes the power toa voltage/current monitoring circuit 1604 and an array 1606 of faultdetection and protection devices. Each set of fault detection andprotection devices is coupled to a respective PFC boost stage. For theembodiment shown, PFC circuit 1508 is a two-phase device so two PFCboost stages 1608 and 1610 are provided to produce the two PFC powerphases denoted ϕ₁ and ϕ₂. The PFC boost stages boost the input powervoltage (e.g., 120 VAC) to a level that is summed together to producethe PFC V_(out) output voltage 1616. In an embodiment, this is on theorder of 390V. A PFC controller 1612 controls the phases generated byboost stages 1608 and 1610. The PFC controller receives any faultinformation from the PFC fault detection/protection components 1606 andprovides output to the system controller 1614. Any detected faultcondition, such as due to internal hardware failure, or corruption ofthe mains power input (e.g., drop in level of change in power cycle) isreported by the monitoring circuit 1604 and/or the fault detectioncomponents. A failure of any of the boost stages may be manifest as adecrease in the target PFC V_(out) level due to failure to boost thepower by the desired amount. The protection devices may implementcertain compensation techniques to overcome the detected fault or thesystem controller may initiate other system wide compensationmechanisms, such as per channel gain limiting or channel cutout. Thesystem controller thus provides output to other subsequent systemcomponents, and for the embodiment shown in FIG. 15, this includes themulti-phase resonant mode power supply 1510.

FIG. 17 is a block diagram of the multi-phase resonant mode powersupply, under an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 17, the circuit 1510 is amulti-phase resonant mode DC-DC power supply with phase-loss faultdetection and protection. In general, as a resonant mode power supply,circuit 1510 generates current and voltage waveforms that are shaped tosinusoids by inductors (L) and capacitors (C) inserted in the currentpath, and hence it may be referred to as an “LLC” power supply. Circuit1510 takes the voltage output from the PFC device 1508 at the 390Voutput level through a bulk storage device 1702, which distributes thepower to an array 1704 of fault detection and protection devices. Eachset of fault detection and protection devices is coupled to a respectiveisolated LLC (resonant) converter 1706. For the embodiment shown,circuit 1510 is a three-phase device so three LLC converters (denoted 1,2, and 3) are provided to produce the two LLC power phases denoted ϕ₁,ϕ₂ and ϕ₃. The LLC converter stages divide the PFC input power voltage(e.g., 390V) into the three phases (e.g., 0, 120, and 20 degrees) thatare summed together to produce the LLC V_(out) output voltage 1710. Thisoutput voltage is provided to power amplifiers that generate theindividual channel outputs. An LLC controller 1708 controls the phasesgenerated by converter stages 1706. The LLC controller receives anyfault information from the LLC fault detection/protection components1604 and provides output to the system controller 1614. Any detectedfault condition for one or more phases, such as due to internal hardwarefailure, is reported to the system controller, which may then initiate asystem wide compensation mechanism to allow the amplifier to operate ina reduced power phase mode.

Although the embodiment of FIG. 15 illustrated an amplifier system thatutilizes both the PFC 1508 and LLC 1510 components together, it shouldbe noted that either component can be used alone or in conjunction withother similar components. Additionally, any practical number of phasesfor either component may be used. The PFC and LLC components may be usedalone or together in any appropriate type of audio amplifier thatrequires a large amount of power and/or may power a high number ofindividual channels. In an embodiment, the PFC and LLC circuits areincorporated into a multi-channel cinema amplifier, such as shown inFIG. 3.

FIG. 18 is a diagram of a multi-channel cinema amplifier incorporating amulti-phase power supply and fault reporting user interface components,under some embodiments. Amplifier 1800 includes a common power subsystem1808 that includes two independent power supplies (PS1 and PS2) thatprovide power to power amps 1811 to drive a number (N) of speakerchannels. In an embodiment N may be on the order of 24 to 36 channels,though embodiments are not so limited. A power sharing controller 1806controls the distribution of power within the system, as describedabove. The power subsystem 1808 also includes the multi-phase PFC andLLC components shown and described in FIGS. 16 and 17. These componentsboost and split the mains power into a number of power phases to provideredundancy of power within the amplifier. In the event of a fault, oneor more phases may be compromised but power is still available throughthe remaining phases. The fault conditions may be reported to a powercontrol unit or the fault detector 1810 and monitor 1814 components. Inan embodiment, a system controller 1816 processes any fault conditionsreported by the PFC/LLC component 1809 to initiate any appropriatecompensation measures, such as gain limiting and so on. In anembodiment, amplifier 1800 also includes a front panel LED controllerand/or computer UI controller 1818 to generate appropriate visualmessages through a front panel LED array 1820 or computer UI, asdescribed above.

Embodiments of the audio amplifier described herein may be used in anyappropriate venue or application, such as cinema, home cinema, livevenue, auditorium, industrial facility, military facility, theme park,and so on. Although example implementations are described with respectto certain specified components, such as the Dolby CP850, it should benoted that embodiments are not so limited and any similar or otherappropriate component may be used.

Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout thedescription and the claims, the words “comprise,” “comprising,” and thelike are to be construed in an inclusive sense as opposed to anexclusive or exhaustive sense; that is to say, in a sense of “including,but not limited to.” Words using the singular or plural number alsoinclude the plural or singular number respectively. Additionally, thewords “herein,” and “hereunder” and words of similar import refer tothis application as a whole and not to any particular portions of thisapplication. When the word “or” is used in reference to a list of two ormore items, that word covers all of the following interpretations of theword: any of the items in the list, all of the items in the list and anycombination of the items in the list.

While one or more implementations have been described by way of exampleand in terms of the specific embodiments, it is to be understood thatone or more implementations are not limited to the disclosedembodiments. To the contrary, it is intended to cover variousmodifications and similar arrangements as would be apparent to thoseskilled in the art. Therefore, the scope of the appended claims shouldbe accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all suchmodifications and similar arrangements.

1. An audio amplifier comprising: a power supply stage configured to becoupled to a mains power supply and configured to provide power to drivechannels corresponding to speaker feeds to a plurality of speakers; amonitor component coupled to the power supply stage and monitoringenvironmental and operating characteristics of the amplifier; and apower controller coupled to the monitor component and adjustingper-channel gain values based on per-channel characteristics, powerdistribution characteristics, speaker health characteristics, and mainspower supply characteristic; wherein the power controller is configuredto adjust a global gain, which is applied to the channels, such that atotal power level provided by the power supply stage is equal to orbelow a recommended power.
 2. The amplifier of claim 1 furthercomprising a fault detector monitoring operating conditions of theplurality of speakers and configured to predict and detect a failingspeaker and to send a signal to the power controller indicating a failedor failing speaker, wherein the signal is transmitted to a systemadministrator or network operation center.
 3. The amplifier of claim 2wherein the fault detector measures per-channel voltage and currentvalues to provide a frequency response of a speaker, measuring animpedance Z of the speaker and verifying that the measured frequencyresponse matches an expected frequency response curve for the speaker.4. The amplifier of claim 1 wherein the per-channel and powerdistribution characteristics comprise at least one of: voltage andcurrent of the mains power supply, circuit breaker rating, thermalmeasurements, and speaker loads.
 5. The amplifier of claim 4 wherein thepower supply stage provides maximum voltage and current on each channelof the speaker feeds under normal operating conditions and according tocurrent and voltage availability of the mains power, and wherein thecontroller reduces the gain to at least one of the channels in the eventof a negative environmental or operating condition.
 6. The amplifier ofclaim 5 wherein the channels are organized into a plurality ofprioritized sets of channels, and wherein the controller reduces thegain to the at least one of the channels according to a priority of theat least one channel relative to the other sets of channels, theamplifier further comprising an interface to a renderer, the renderertransmitting digitized audio signals for transmission of the speakerfeeds.
 7. The amplifier of claim 1 further comprising an interface to asecond amplifier for configuration of a master/slave configurationcontaining the amplifier and second amplifier.
 8. The amplifier of claim4 wherein the thermal measurements comprise at least one of: per-channeltemperature, power supply temperature, ambient temperature, overallinternal amplifier temperature, and further comprising a thermalcontroller adjusting a speed of one or more fans to reduce a temperatureprofile of the amplifier if it is detected or predicted to exceed adefined temperature limit, and wherein a resultant thermal correctiveaction is influenced by forward feed data from the renderer allowing thethermal sub-system to proactively adjust system thermal performancethrough a predictive process.
 9. The amplifier of claim 8 wherein theplurality of speakers comprise a surround sound audio speaker arrayincluding height speakers for playback of object-based audio havingheight cues, and wherein the audio signals comprise immersive audiocontent and further comprising a light control interface transmittinglighting control signals over speaker wires to a plurality of lights,and wherein the power supply stage provides power to the plurality oflights, and further wherein the light control interface receivesmetadata from the renderer that determines a color and intensity of eachlight of the plurality of lights.
 10. The amplifier of claim 1 whereinthe power supply stage comprises dual redundant power supplies, andwherein the amplifier is a Class-D amplifier.
 11. The amplifier of claim1 wherein the power supply stage comprises of two or more power suppliesconfigured in a multiple phase architecture, wherein the two or morepower supplies are designed to operate with different phase angles andsum into a unified output. 12-16. (canceled)
 17. A multi-channelamplifier comprising: a power supply stage providing power to drive aplurality of channels corresponding to speaker feeds to a plurality ofspeakers; a monitor component coupled to the power supply stage andmonitoring environmental and operating characteristics of the amplifier;a front panel having an LED array comprising a plurality of LEDs witheach LED being associated with a respective channel or group of channelsof the multi-channel amplifier; and a control unit coupled to the LEDarray and configured to light the LED array according to displaypatterns based on operating status or error conditions of the amplifier,and wherein at least one display pattern graphically shows the identityof one or more failed channels of the plurality of channels, wherein theoperating status and error conditions are selected from a plurality ofstates selected from the group comprising: system bootup, systemshutdown, system standby, normal operation of the plurality of channels,channel overload of at least one channel, channel failure of the atleast one channel, and system failure, and wherein a unique displaypattern is generated for each of the plurality of states, and whereinthe display pattern is a function of an array sequence including ananimation, wherein the animation comprises a set of LED transitions, andeach transition comprises a lighting routine for a plurality ofsequential LEDs.
 18. The amplifier of claim 17 wherein the LED arraycomprises a horizontal line of LEDs placed on the front panel, andwherein each LED of the plurality of LEDs is an RGB LED.
 19. Theamplifier of claim 18 wherein the display patterns comprise animationsusing different color, brightness, and blinking frequencycharacteristics of the LEDs, and transitions to and from successivedisplays of timed lightings of adjacent LEDs, and further wherein the atleast one display pattern comprises simulated motion by synchronizedlighting of LEDs in the LED array created by successively turningcontiguous LEDs on and off across the horizontal line of LEDs.
 20. Theamplifier of claim 19 wherein the at least one display patternidentifies the failed channel by displaying two sweeping LED sequencesthat each start from one end of the horizontal line and end at arespective LED for the failed channel, and wherein the control unitexecutes a timing routine for the at least one display pattern thatcalculates a duration for each sweeping LED sequence and adjusts atiming of at least one sequence so that both sequences end at therespective LED at the same time.
 21. The amplifier of claim 17 whereinLED control signals sent to the LED array are simultaneously transmittedto a graphical user interface (GUI) of a computer wired or wirelesslycoupled to the control unit.
 22. A method of graphically indicatingoperating status and fault conditions in a multi-channel amplifiercomprising: providing an array of LEDs in the front panel of theamplifier; assigning respective display patterns to the LEDs for eachstate of the amplifier; and lighting the LEDs based on a sensedoperating status or fault condition, wherein at least one displaypattern graphically shows the identity of a failed channel of theplurality of channels; wherein the operating status and error conditionsare selected from a plurality of states selected from the groupcomprising: system bootup, system shutdown, system standby, normaloperation of the plurality of channels, channel overload of at least onechannel, channel failure of the at least one channel, and systemfailure, and wherein a unique display pattern is generated for each ofthe plurality of states, and wherein the display pattern is a functionof an array sequence including an animation, wherein the animationcomprises a set of LED transitions, and each transition comprises alighting routine for a plurality of sequential LEDs.
 23. The method ofclaim 22 wherein display patterns for normal operation comprise muted,steady state lighting effects using the LEDs and display patterns forfault conditions comprise bright, moving lighting effects using color,brightness, flashing periods, and timing intervals of sequences of LEDSto visually distinguish fault conditions from normal operation, andprovide visual alerts to users that may be a distance from theamplifier.
 24. The method of claim 23 wherein the at least one displaypattern identifies the failed channel by displaying two sweeping LEDsequences that each start from one end of a horizontal line of the arrayof LEDs and end at a respective LED for the one or more failed channels.25. The method of claim 24 further comprising transmitting LED controlsignals to a graphical user interface (GUI) of a computer wired orwirelessly coupled to the amplifier, wherein the GUI includes a visualdisplay area showing LED arrays corresponding to front panel LED arraysfor each amplifier of a plurality of amplifiers monitored by thecomputer.